A bidirectional switch fault protection circuit includes a bidirectional switch circuit, a desaturation detection circuit, and a gate driver. The bidirectional switch circuit generates first and second switch voltages based on a direction of electric current. The desaturation detection circuit outputs the first switch voltage in response to the electric current flowing in a first direction and outputs the second switch voltage in response to the electric current flowing in a second direction opposite the first direction. The gate driver receives the first switch voltage in response to the electric current flowing in the first direction and the second switch voltage in response to the electric current flowing in the second direction. The gate driver detects a first short circuit condition based on the first switch voltage and a second short circuit condition based on the second switch voltage.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
3. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 2, wherein the short circuit voltage threshold has a negative value.
4. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 2, wherein the gate driver includes an output electrically connected to the bidirectional switch circuit, and wherein the gate driver is configured to switch off one or both of the first and second switch voltages in response to detecting one or both of the first short circuit condition and the second short circuit condition.
6. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 5, wherein the gate driver is configured to switch off one or both of the first power semiconductor switch and the second power semiconductor switch in response to detecting one or both of the first short circuit condition and the second short circuit condition.
7. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 5, wherein the gate driver includes a desaturation input, the desaturation input electrically connected to the first power semiconductor switch to receive the first switch voltage having a negative voltage value and electrically connected to the second power semiconductor switch to receive the second switch voltage having a negative voltage value.
9. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 8, wherein the gate driver is configured to detect a first short circuit condition based on the first switch voltage received at the first desaturation input and a second short circuit condition based on the second switch voltage received at the second desaturation input.
11. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 10, wherein the first short circuit voltage threshold and the second short circuit voltage threshold each have a positive value.
13. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 12, wherein the gate driver is configured to switch off one or both of the first power semiconductor switch and the second power semiconductor switch in response to detecting one or both of the first short circuit condition and the second short circuit condition.
14. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 13, wherein the gate driver includes a first output electrically connected to the first power semiconductor switch and a second output electrically connected to the second power semiconductor switch, and wherein the gate driver is configured to switch off the first power semiconductor switch in response to detecting the first short circuit condition and to switch off the second power semiconductor switch in response to detecting the second short circuit condition.
16. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 15, wherein the first gate driver is configured to detect a first short circuit condition based on the first switch voltage, and wherein the second gate driver is configured to detect a second short circuit condition based on the second switch voltage.
18. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 17, wherein the first short circuit voltage threshold and the second short circuit voltage threshold each have a positive value.
20. The bidirectional switch fault protection circuit of claim 19, wherein the first gate driver is configured to switch off the first power semiconductor switch in response to detecting the first short circuit condition, and wherein the second gate driver is configured to switch off the second power semiconductor switch in response to detecting the second short circuit condition.
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July 28, 2021
June 6, 2023
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